1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print system which prints an image based on image data having undergone color correction processing, a printing apparatus used in the print system, a printing method, and a storage medium storing a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
It has conventionally been known that the density and tint in color reproduction by a color printing apparatus are greatly affected by individual characteristics of each printing apparatus, use conditions such as room temperature and the elapsed time, the type of paper serving as a printing medium, and the like. For this reason, the printing apparatus outputs test pattern data of a reference color onto a printing medium for use before outputting an actual image. Then, image data undergoes color correction based on color correction data which is the result of measuring the color of the output test pattern using a colorimeter. More specifically, color correction data read by the colorimeter is transmitted to a host apparatus (for example, PC) serving as an image output source. The host apparatus calculates a color correction parameter based on a comparison difference from an ideal value using a multi-dimensional lookup table. The host apparatus executes color correction for actual output image data using the calculated color correction parameter so that an output color in the printing apparatus coincides with a display color in the host apparatus. Then, the host apparatus transmits the actual output image data to the printing apparatus, and the printing apparatus outputs it, implementing color reproduction in output.
However, executing a series of operations for color correction in every image output which places importance on color reproduction wastes consumables such as ink for an inkjet method or toner for an electrophotographic method though the type of consumables changes depending on the image forming method. Further, output and color measurement of a test pattern take a predetermined time, decreasing the use efficiency of the whole printing apparatus. To solve these problems, color correction data is stored in the printing apparatus together with time information. The same color correction data is kept used until the lapse of a predetermined time, a change of the use condition such as a change of room temperature, a change of the paper type, or the like. There is also proposed a print system in which color correction data is stored not in a printing apparatus but in a host apparatus which has output the color correction data (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-345572).
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-345572, the printing apparatus stores information for specifying a host apparatus which has acquired color correction data. When another host apparatus requests color correction, the color correction data is acquired using the host specifying information from the host apparatus which exists on the same line and stores the color correction data. This technique can omit a series of operations for color correction, and implement color correction even in a host-based driven printing apparatus having a small storage area.
However, this technique does not consider the time taken to acquire color correction data by the host apparatus and calculate a correction parameter based on a comparison difference from an ideal value. A low-processing-speed host apparatus may take time for the calculation processing, decreasing the processing efficiency of the print system.